A DRUGS mule was caught ferrying a £14,000 stash of cannabis when he popped home for a toilet break.

Undercover officers observed John Bourne and Andrew Davison switching a package between vans on an industrial estate in Pelaw, Gateshead, last May.

When police tracked Bourne back to his Clipstone Avenue home, in Walker, Newcastle, they found the same Sainsbury’s carrier bag, containing 29 bars of the drug, weighing in at 4.9kilos.

But Bourne told them: “It’s not mine, I’m taking it for the big lads. I’ve just stopped for the toilet.”

Today the 36-year-old is starting a 12-month stint in jail after being sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.

He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing class B drug with intent to supply. Davison, 26, of Morris Gardens in Wardley, Gateshead, was spared jail but told if he committed any further crimes his nine-month sentence, which was suspended for two years, would be activated. He had also previously pleaded guilty to supplying class B controlled drugs.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Esmond Faulks told them: “It seems to me both of you were in league with a somewhat professional drug dealing operation.”

He continued: “The suggestion put forward was you had been put under pressure by dealers for some unknown purpose.

“Those who help drug dealers carry out their work enable the main dealers to escape justice. In my mind you, Mr Bourne, are higher up the food chain than Mr Davison.”

The court was told how on May 22 last year, police were observing George’s Recoveries and adjacent premises, whose owners had previously been convicted of dealing drugs.

Officers saw Davison come out of the building and place bags in a van. Moments later Bourne arrived in a second vehicle and headed straight for the van, the court heard.

Jobless Bourne collected the bags and took them back to his home, where he was confronted by police, who found £2,000 of cash in the property.

Prosecuting, Paul Cross told the court Davison was later identified and arrested by police.

The court was told Davison’s previous convictions included shoplifting, attempting to possess MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), and being drunk and disorderly, while Bourne’s past crimes included theft, criminal damage, assault and assault on police officers.

Mark Saunders, defending for Bourne, told the court his client had been forced into the exchange after running up a £300 drug debt.

He said Bourne was dependant on cannabis to ease severe headaches and pains he had suffered since extensive brain surgery to remove an aneurysm.

Tony Davis, defending for Davison, said his client was also addicted to cannabis to ease the pain he still suffered from a serious car accident.

He added his client was an obvious target for dealers as he suffered from both long and short-term memory loss.

Davison was also made the subject of a supervision requirement for six months and ordered to do 100 hours’ unpaid work.